How often should you change batteries in carbon monoxide detector

When properly maintained, these alarms will protect your family from carbon monoxide poisoning.

A carbon monoxide detector is a device used to monitor the amount of carbon monoxide (CO) in your home. In excess, this colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas can lead to tragedy—it is fatal in high doses. Keeping your family safe is as easy as installing detectors in your home, which can often be done with just a screwdriver and a few minutes of your time. Ahead, how to care for these life-saving alarms long-term.

What is a CO detector?

This device's main function is to track carbon monoxide in a given area and issue an alert if levels become high, says Mark Dawson, the COO of Mister Sparky and One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning. "Carbon monoxide detectors are similar to smoke detectors in their function," he says. "Some models are not specific to carbon monoxide, but monitor for multiple gases including carbon monoxide." Every homeowner with a fuel-burning appliance, heater, or fireplace should have these alarms installed in their houses, he says. "There should be at least one detector on each level of the home, plus detectors in sleeping areas," he adds.

How often should you replace your monitor?

Because these types of monitors run constantly in the background, you should change their batteries twice per year, says Dawson (schedule these swaps with Daylight Saving Time so you remember). "For the detector itself? Most will last around five to seven years before you need a replacement," he says. Whether you are replacing your model or installing one for the first time, pay close attention to their final location. "Be sure to place the detector at least 15 feet away from fuel-burning appliances. Put them high on the wall or on the ceiling, as carbon monoxide is a light gas and tends to rise," notes Dawson.

carbon monoxide alarm on bed frame

Credit: Kameleon007 / Getty Images

How can you maintain these devices between changes?

According to Dawson, these alarms' maintenance schedules should be a top priority. "One of the most important things you can do is to clean and test your carbon monoxide detector monthly," he says, "especially if you are heating your house with natural gas or other combustible fuels." Use a carbon monoxide test kit—it actually includes a canister of CO gas—which can be found wherever CO detectors are sold. And while "batteries should be changed twice per year (verses smoke detectors, which are normally changed yearly)," notes Dawson, swap them out sooner if your monitor begins making beeping noises or a new light becomes illuminated. This may be a sign that it's time to check your battery. "Unfortunately, you cannot see or smell carbon monoxide, so your detector is the most reliable form of monitoring," affirms Dawson.

What are the risks of improper maintenance?

If you are not replacing your detector and its batteries often enough, you run the risk of unknowingly being exposed to dangerously high levels of carbon monoxide in your home. "High levels of CO can overwhelm your body in mere minutes and result in CO poisoning," Dawson says, noting that this can lead to "serious tissue damage and even death, so ignoring the risk and not equipping your home is very dangerous." In addition to keeping your carbon monoxide alarms clean and cared for, Dawson says you should perform regular check-ups on any HVAC devices, as well. "The best way to prevent carbon monoxide and other gas leaks is to have your HVAC system inspected and maintained every year," he says. "Small problems, like hairline cracks in your heat exchanger, can be found and repaired before they grow into major problems, which could result in gas leaks." Staying on top of these small tasks, he concludes, can save your wallet and your life in the long run.

While the importance of them is widely known, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors often become afterthoughts once they’re installed.

Typical homeowners will put the detectors up, see them hanging there on the wall, and feel safe. They don’t give them a second thought — except for those annoying times the low battery chirp goes off in the middle of the night.

But these devices are not to be ignored. Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors save lives.

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), three of every five home fire deaths happened in homes without smoke alarms or with non-functioning smoke alarms, with the death rate per 100 reported home fires being more than twice as high in homes that did not have any working smoke alarms compared to the rate in homes with working smoke alarms.

Carbon monoxide is equally, if not more, dangerous. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that over 400 Americans die from unintentional CO poisoning not linked to fires every year, more than 20,000 visit the emergency room, and more than 4,000 are hospitalized.

A common thread in a vast majority of those injuries and deaths and malfunctioning smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and more often than not, the malfunction is due to missing, disconnected, or dead batteries.

Bottom line, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are not “set it and forget it” devices. You need to stay on top of them and periodically check that they’re working properly.

Here’s what else you need to know.

The Basics

There are various smoke and carbon monoxide detectors on the market, from basic models to more modern units that feature digital displays and are interconnected with every other unit in the house. No matter what model you choose, MAKE SURE THE BATTERIES ARE WORKING!

Test your smoke detectors monthly and if they’re battery-operated, you need to change those batteries at least once a year. Many people change their smoke detector batteries on New Year’s Day or some other holiday to help them remember. Carbon monoxide detector batteries need to be replaced every six months (a great time to do this is during daylight saving time when you’re turning your clocks back or forward). When replacing the batteries, vacuum the inside of the detectors to remove dirt, dust, and debris, which can interfere with the working components.

Install smoke detectors on every floor of your home (including attics and basements), in each bedroom and outside of each bedroom area. Put carbon monoxide detectors on every floor, as well, and near, but not inside, an attached garage. Be careful where you place them, though. Keep carbon monoxide detectors out of direct sunlight, and at least 5 feet away from appliances and 20 feet away from any fuel-burning heat source. Also avoid areas with high humidity (shower, dishwasher), extreme heat or cold (attics, crawlspaces), and blowing air (vents, returns, and even ceiling fans).

Consider installing heat detectors in places like your garage and kitchen. Heat detectors are designed to respond to a fire, but not smoke. Using heat detectors instead of smoke detectors should help reduce false alarms from things like cooking.

The Lifespan of Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Most smoke alarms have a lifespan of eight to 10 years, and again, replace the batteries every year. A smoke detector with a lithium battery or a hard-wired smoke detector can last 10 years, at which time you would just replace the whole unit.

Carbon monoxide detectors last between five and seven years. The recommendation is to replace them every five years because their ability to detect carbon monoxide is questionable after that point.

A Better Way

To protect your home and family, you need to have, at the very least, basic, stand-alone smoke and carbon monoxide detectors throughout your home–it’s a necessity. But if you want to get even more protection, with monitoring and automatic notifications to the fire department and other first responders, a home security system is a great option.

With today’s home security systems, you can remotely monitor the presence of fire, smoke, or carbon monoxide and be alerted well before anything gets out of hand. The fire department will also be dispatched in the event of an alarm, even if you are not home to report the incident.

When it comes to the safety of your family and your home, anything less than constant and accurate residential fire detection and smoke monitoring just won’t cut it. A custom-designed fire system will monitor and alert you to any potential dangers and create time for everyone in your home to get away from the danger.

At ProTech Security, we have a strong history of experience, innovation and customer service. The ProTech Security Advantage is more than 30 years of service in Northeast Ohio and a strong commitment to providing quality, cost-effective protection for homes, businesses, educational institutions and government facilities. To see what ProTech Security can do for you, contact us today.

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